National Republican., 1887-01-03

leases have their use, but they make poor
yardstick with which to measure life. They
that boast themselves in their wealth, and
them can, by any means. redeem his brother,
nor give to God q ransom for him, that he
should not see corruption. "Wise men die, like.
wise the fool and the british person perish. and
leave their wealth to Others"
But remark: There are many-I wish there
were more-who estimate their life by their
moral and spiritual development. 1t Is not
am pnrer than used to be. ! am more conse.
Grated to Christ than used to be- have got
over great many. of the bad habits in which
IseG ,, 70 indulge, am great deal better man
in that. 1t is not base egotism for a soldier to
say: 81 know more about military tactics than
used to before took musket in my hand
a pest to the drill officer" II is not base ego
tism for sailor 10 say: ~ know now better to
clew down the mizzen topsail than fused to
ne aees n eSo% sel wSsn hsrf Eh
Ing the battles of the Lord, or If you will have
1t, voyaging toward a haven of eternal rest,
says: II know more about spiritual tactics and
about yoynRing toward heaven than used
to-" Why, there are those in this presence
who haye measured lances with many foe,
and unhorsed 1t. There are Christian men
ing at the forge of calamity: They stand on
an entirely different plane of character from
that which they once occupied. They are
measuring their life on earth by golden-
ings, by communion tables, by baptismal fonts,
by ballelujahs In the temple. They have
Stood on Sinai and heard y thunder. They
promised land. They have stood OH Calvary
and seen the cross bleed They can, like Paul,
the apostle, write on their heayiest. troubles
est night their soul is irradiated, as was the
night over Bethlehem, by the faces of those
who have come to proclaim glory and good
cheer They are only waiting for the gate to
open, ana the chains to fall OF and the glory
to begin.
remark again, there are many land wish
there were more) who are estimating life by
the amount OF good they can do. John Brad
In which he had not. by pen or tongue, done
some good. II man begin right cannot tell
how many tears he may wipe away, how many
may comfort. how many outcasts he may re-
claim. There have been men who have given
their whole life In the right direction. con-
centrating all their wit. and ingenuity. and
thusiasm for Christ They climbed the noun.
tain. and delved into the mine, and crossed
the sea, and trudged the desert, and dropped
resurrection OF the Just. They measured their
lives by the chains they broke of, by the gar.
ments they put upon nG.edness, by the miles
they Travelled to alleviate every kiad OF suf-
iering. They felt In the thrill of every nerve,
IN the motion OF every muscle. In every
throb Of their heart In every respiration
OF their lungs the magnificent truth: mo
through cold and through heat foothills.
tered. cheek.smitten, back. soourged, tempest
lashed, to do their whole duty. That y the
they could do. Do you want to know how old
Luther was? how old Richard Baxter waS
how old Philip Doddridge was2 Why, you
cannot calculate the length of their lives by
any human arithmetic. Add to their lives ten
thousand times ten thousand years, and yOu
have not expressed it-what they have lived
or VIII live. o.. what a standard that IL to
this house who think they have only lived
thirty years. They will have lived athonsand-
they have lived thousand. There are those
who think they are 50 years Of age. They have
not even entered upon their infancy, for one
must lecome bate iu Christ to begin at all.
Now, do moi know what your advantages or
disadyaL taFes are; do not know what your
tact or talent Isl do not know wha. may be
the fascination Of your manners or the repul.
siyeness of them; but know this: There Is tor
you, my nearer, field TO culture. a harvest TO
you. have worldly means, oonsecrate them to
Christ. IL you have eloquence, use 1t on the
side that Paul and wilberforoe used theirs II
you have learning, put all into the poor.box
Of ihese-neither wealth. nor cloquenec, nor
learDing-you, at any rate, have smile with
which you can encourage the disheartened; a
voice with which you may call the wanderer
view Of lie i% 1t 1S IS not Tfsfs i
the only bright view of lifo and It Is the only
bright view OF death. Contrast tho death
scene OF man who has measured life by the
worldly standard with the death scene Of a
man who has measured life by the Christian
standard; Quinn, the actor, In his last mo.
ments said: II hope this tragic scene will soon
be oyer, and l hope to keep my dignity TO tbs
last" Malherbe said in his last moments 10
the eonfessor: Hold your tongue Your mis-.
cradle style puts me ont Of coucelt wi
heaven" Lord Chesterfield In his last mo-
ments, when he ought to have been pray
ipg for his soul, bothered himself about